Israel sustained cyber-attacks in Gaza operation

Defense Minister: Every advanced state that has enemies must know how to defend itself in the cyber-arena.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dedicated Tel Aviv University's Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center yesterday. The center was dedicated during the International Cyber Conference, with the participation of Tel Aviv University President Prof. Joseph Klafter, and Head of Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science Technology and Security Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel. Netanyahu said at the event, “The billions that we decided to invest in recent years in Israel’s security saved Israel’s economy - the billions we invested in Iron Dome allowed Israel’s economy to continue to function during the recent operation and prevented investments from fleeing Israel.”

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Minister of Defense Moshe Ya’alon participated in the conference today, and said, “During Operation Protective Edge, the State of Israel was cyber-attacked by governments, by terror organizations, and by individuals operating independently. Government and private websites were attacked. No damage was caused, because Israel was prepared to deal with it. Technological developments, particularly in the field of communications, present broad opportunities for attacks. If, the past, we attacked only by land, by sea, and by air, now there is also the cyber-arena. Therefore, this arena presents both threats and opportunities, if the state is aware of them."

According to Ya’alon, “Every advanced state that has enemies must know how to defend itself in the cyber-arena, and it is recommended that every country have the ability to attack its enemies. With regards to terror, a partnership between countries is necessary; terror knows no borders. Israel invests in the field of cybersecurity, which will make us leaders in the field.”

Minister of Science, Technology, and Space Yaakov Perry said at the conference, “In recent years, our world of metaphors is filled ‘Iron Dome.’ In the field of cybersecurity, we need a ‘Cyber Dome,’ and it will come from knowledge and research. Then next generation of cyber-technology is in the research and educational institutions, and in the academia. This year, the Ministry of Science invested more than NIS 15 million in the field of cybersecurity.”

Former president Shimon Peres, who also spoke at the conference, said, “War as we once knew it is gone. There are no borders. The global economy has no army, and has no police. We need to defend ourselves. If I were an Arab today, I would ask myself whether the Israelis or the terrorists are more dangerous. And the answer is: the terrorists.”